Benjani keeps life sweet for bubbly Pompey

This might not have possessed the shock and awe value of Portsmouth's 7-4 victory over Reading , but three points at Wigan was, in its own way, every bit as impressive, as goals from Benjani and Glen Johnson ensured Portsmouth continue in their role as one of the surprise packages of this Premier League campaign.

This season has thrown up a number of pretenders to the title of 'Team Most Likely To...' - as in most likely to break the perceived dominance of the selfstyled big four at the top of the table - but, surely, none among Manchester City, Blackburn or Aston Villa are playing this well currently.

Rarely, if ever, threatened at their own end of the field, Portsmouth might still have been forgiven for settling for a point here as the game entered the fi nal 10 minutes with little sign of a resolute Wigan back line capitulating. But Benjani slipped his markers for the first time in the 81st minute, connecting with Sulley Muntari 's tantalising left-wing cross and converting from six yards.

Glen Johnson sealed the victory four minutes later as a clearly deflated Wigan allowed him to advance half the length of the fi eld before beating Chris Kirkland from the edge of the penalty area.

The defeat took Wigan's streak without a goal to 310 minutes and, with Emile Heskey injured, their problems are many and varied. For Portsmouth life in the top fl ight has never been so sweet and for all Harry Redknapp's knee-jerk downplaying of talk about a place in Europe, such a goal is extremely realistic.

'When you start the season, you look at the league and know the top four will be the top four,' said Redknapp. 'After that, there is Tottenham, Newcastle, Villa, there's Everton. It's a difficult league, but we'll just keep trying to pick up results and see where we finish.

'We've had a difficult start to the season - 10 games, six away and played the big four in our first six games. But 18 points is a great start and if we can fi nish in the top half of the table, I'll be delighted.'

If Benjani - the Premier League's leading scorer this morning, with five of his seven goals having come in the past three games - maintains such an output, a top-half fi nish is the very least Redknapp and his club can anticipate.

Roundly criticised after his arrival at Fratton Park in January 2006, Benjani took 14 games to score his first goal - an eff ort that, coincidentally, ensured Pompey of top-flight survival in a lateseason victory at Wigan.

'The first year I bought him, it took him 14 games to get his fi rst goal, but all that time he never stopped working,' said Redknapp. 'The fans love him. He works, grafts, he's a fantastic fella and now he's adding goals to his play which is great.'

The afternoon might have unfolded diff erently had Paul Scharner's second minute header gone in, instead of grazing the Portsmouth post, although Muntari was equally unfortunate with a fabulous 30-yard free-kick that hit the woodwork midway through the second period. Those efforts aside, there was little else to worry the two goalkeepers.

Wigan manager Chris Hutchings was honest enough not to want to use injuries as an excuse after his team made it seven games without a win. But the form book suggests that neighbouring Bolton may not be the only club in deepest Lancashire for whom relegation could be a concern this season.

Man of the match: Benjani

Seven goals already this campaign indicate that the Pompey forward has become a genuine Premier League force - certainly his goal illustrated that any lapse in concentration from a defender is liable to be punished severely.